Tell Me Something Good 1/20/19

The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to get caught up in the spin cycle and let it get us down.

Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week, we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.

This week’s Something Good is a good deed that saved a life.

Ryan Arens was delivering packages on his Bozeman, Montana UPS route shortly before Christmas when he went above and beyond the call of duty. The Great Falls Tribune reports that, as the sun was setting, Ryan heard a dog in distress. He found a dog trapped in an icy pond, about 15 feet from the shore. An older gentleman was in a rowboat, trying to break up the ice enough to get to her.

Arens says, “This dog was screaming and crying and going crazy.”  He told the Tribune that animal patrol was on the way but he didn’t believe the dog was going to make it unless someone got her. Ryan got the man out of the boat, stripped down to his boxers, and used the rowboat to shimmy his way onto the thin ice. He broke through the ice into 16 feet water and swam to the dog, who was starting to go under.

Ryan grabbed her by the collar and was able to push her across the ice to the shore. He was given a blanket by a bystander, and he and the dog were taken to the older gentleman’s house to warm up.

Arens then finished delivering the remaining 20 packages on his UPS route, in spite of cuts on his legs.

He recently delivered a package to the house where Sadie, the two and a half year old wirehaired pointing griffon whose life he saved, lives. When Sadie saw Ryan, she started “freaking out” and ran to him. He says she must have remembered him and it made him feel good. He added, “This dog had a whole lot of life left in her, and I’m really glad I was able to act when I did. She’s a sweetheart.”

Arens, a self proclaimed animal lover and proud dog owner, posted on his Facebook page about all the praise he has received in the wake of the news reports of his adventure.

Ryan Arens saved not just Sadie’s life but possibly her owner’s life as well. He may not consider himself a hero but he deserves praise nonetheless. A person who puts himself into danger to help save a life? That is definitely Something Good to think about this week.

Now it’s your turn… Tell me Something Good!